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Fanfic / Final Fantasy VII: Another Side

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Final Fantasy VII: Another Side is an AU fanfiction by Mystwalker, an alternate retelling of Final Fantasy VII that combines elements from Crisis Core, Before Crisis, and Dirge of Cerberus. The premise behind the fic is an Alternate Continuity where Genesis causes the Nibelheim Incident instead of Sephiroth. It starts off following the same track as the game, but begins to diverge towards the end of the Midgar Arc.

The author stated that this story would be a Trilogy, each installment being equivalent to a Disc like the original FFVII. The first story(found here) was completed, but the second story(called Final Fantasy VII: Another Story) according to the author, is now discontinued.

Pairings include: Aerith x Zack, Cloud x Tifa, and Sephiroth x Cissnei.


This fanfic provides examples of:

  • Action Film, Quiet Drama Scene: Lots of them. One especially notable one is when Cissnei tells Sephiroth about her past in File 024 part 3. She also reveals her real name: Rekka. This is also the intended point of the Interludes.
  • Action Girl: Take your pick among Cissnei, Tifa, Aerith, and Yuffie. All of them hold their own just fine against the various threats thrown their way.
  • Adaptational Heroism: None could’ve had an even bigger case of this than Sephiroth. He’s far from the composed, but utterly crazy villain in the original game, instead being one of the good guys this time around, serving as, ironically, the Only Sane Man in the party because of his serious disposition. He also becomes the Team Dad of the group, being one of the stronger fighters and making sure everyone stays on task.
    • In addition, he also rejects any attempts of Jenova’s influence instead of embracing her as his mother.
    • While Sephiroth did learn about his past, he did take it rather badly, but much better compared to how he acted in the original. Least he didn’t go crazy and burn an entire village to the ground.
  • Almost Kiss: Occurs between Cloud and Tifa at the Gold Saucer. That is until the gondola ruins it.
  • And Then What?: Discussed. Cloud and Tifa wonder what they're going to do after defeating Jenova.
  • Archnemesis Dad: Hojo to Sephiroth.
  • Armor-Piercing Question:
    • One while Aerith and Sephiroth are hiding in a closet in the Shinra building.
      Aerith: I think he [Angeal] really wants the both of you—no, you to find peace.
      Sephiroth: I am at peace.
      Aerith: Are you really?
    • One from Seph to Cissnei on her tendency to keep putting herself in dangerous situations:
      Sephiroth: Is it that you're the only one qualified to do what needs to be done, or is it that you don't trust anyone else to help you?
  • Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: When Cissnei confronts Shion and lists the myriad of crimes she's now been implacated in from assassinating the Shinra president to dropping the Sector 7 plate (which Deepground did but AVALANCHE took the fall for), she asks if she left any out. Shion reminds her of three counts of grand theft auto, which compared to the rest is really rather minor.
  • Ascended Extra: Kunsel, who was more or less an offscreen character from Crisis Core.
  • Attractive Bent-Gender: Apparently Cloud, while Disguised in Drag. Don Corneo picks him over Aerith and Tifa.
  • Back-to-Back Badasses: Invoked a few times, including once between Cloud and Tifa, and another time with Sephiroth and Cloud.
  • Badass Crew: Does it really need to be said? Avalanche is probably even more badass than in canon due to Sephiroth and Zack being on the team.
  • Battle Couple: Happens a lot. Aerith and Zack fight together as long as they're in the same group. Sephiroth and Cissnei had their moment before Cissnei was shot by Nero, and Cloud and Tifa in the Corel Mountains.
  • Berserk Button:
    • Do not taunt Sephiroth about Jenova. Just don't. Also, don't mess with his hair.
    • Also, hurting Aerith, or just about anyone close to Zack, will send him into Unstoppable Rage.
  • Beta Couple: Aerith and Zack, to basically everyone else. At this point in the story, they're the only couple officially together, and while they have their issues, everyone else has worse.
  • BFS: This is Final Fantasy VII after all.
  • Big Damn Heroes:
    • Sephiroth and Cissnei are this to Zack at the beginning.
    • When the party is ambushed by Auriel and Deepground, Reno show up and carts off Auriel, leaving the party to recover.
    • When the party first confronts Jenova, she incapacitates them all and pins them with a single spell, except for Barrett who shows up and distracts her long enough for the others to break free and fight her off.
  • Big Damn Kiss: Zack and Aerith. After 39 chapters. As one reviewer puts it: "About damn time".
  • Big Damn Reunion: Zack and Aerith are primed for one, but even when do run into each other again, circumstances keep tearing them apart until they get out of Midgar, when they are finally able to spend some time together figuring out where they are and what happens next.
  • Born Lucky: Cissnei, the other Turks say she was born under a lucky star, though it seems to stray into Unluckily Lucky every now and then.
  • Brutal Honesty: Sephiroth; Cissnei says he tells the truth whether people want to hear it or not. And he doesn't pull punches with it either.
  • Empty Eyes: In-universe. Shion says that Cissnei had them when she was younger.
    "It wasn't right. No fourteen-year-old should have such empty eyes."
    • Shelke apparently has them, too.
  • Everyone Can See It: The entire group can tell that Sephiroth has feelings for Cissnei, and vice versa. Heck, even the bad guys can see it.
  • Foreshadowing: Reeve's warning to Cissnei through Cait Sith's fortune, "U R Watched", followed by the color black. Nero the Sable is watching the group through Cissnei].
  • Flaw Exploitation: The Tsviets use this against Cissnei, given that Nero has a direct link to her after her tried to kill her, and is able to see her formulate her plans as she's making them, which enables him to "out" Shalua as a mole, while still watching Cissnei.
  • Feed the Mole: A variation occurs while they're trying to figure out how the Tsviets are tracking them. Cissnei devises a plan to have the group split into three groups, two of them will meet in one location, while the third, with the suspected mole heads to another. The ruse works and Shalua is outed. Except, it's actually Cissnei who's an unwitting mole, being tracked by Nero, who left a portion of his power within her after his attempted killing failed.
  • Four-Star Badass: Sephiroth did used to be a general, and is even called general a few times by the rest of the group.
  • Friend to All Children: Zack. As the author puts it:
    "Well, Zack's a puppy. Kids love puppies, so naturally kids love Zack."
  • Frying Pan of Doom: Sephiroth is saved from having to kill a little boy by one of these.
  • Gambit Pileup: Shinra has plans of course, AVALANCHE has plans to stop them, but in the mix is also Genesis, who, depending on the day, may or may not be working with Shinra, and Deepground who are definitely working outside Shinra's interests.
  • Get A Hold Of Yourself Man: Employed by Zack, when Jenova tries to drive Sephiroth insane in the Shinra Building. Sephiroth is grateful, but not amused.
  • Go-Karting with Bowser: When Sephiroth, Cissnei and Vincent run into the Turks in Wutai, they wind up joining them for a game of cards.
  • Good Is Not Nice: Sephiroth is one of the good guys, but he's also cool, and aloof, and is overall the least friendly member of the group.
  • Hero with Bad Publicity: AVALANCE in general and Sephiroth in particular, given that he's implicated in the assassination of President Shinra.
  • Hero-Worshipper: Since he never went evil in this universe, Cloud is free to express how much he admires and respects Sephiroth. Though he doesn't.
  • Heroic Sacrifice: Kunsel.
  • Heroic Self-Deprecation: Cloud, oh so much. He never acknowledges anything good he does, focuses exclusively on the times he's failed to be good enough, and wonders whether there's really room for him in the True Companions.
  • Hidden Weapons: Cissnei tries to keep some on her person at times, in case her shuriken doesn't come straight back.
  • I Just Want to Be Normal: Aerith's biggest character flaw is her desire to be a regular person and her insecurity at being the Last of Her Kind.
  • I Will Show You X!: Sephiroth gets angry at Yuffie for putting something in his shampoo that turns his hair pink. She claims that hurting her will cause an international incident. Sephiroth retorts: "I'll show you an international incident."
  • Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Genesis, to Sephiroth. The fact that he uses a Flaming Sword doesn't help.
    • Also done by Weiss to Tseng in Temple of Tears. With two swords this time.
  • It's Quiet… Too Quiet: After they escape from the Shinra cells, Cissnei realizes that it's entirely too quiet, as though nothing else on the the floor is moving. She realizes why that is right before they come across the scene of a massacre.
  • Knight in Sour Armor: Sephiroth has gone through all the trauma that drove him mad in canon but still willingly hides out with Cissnei for four years, waiting for a chance to rescue Zack, all just to keep the promise he made to Angeal.
  • The Lancer: Zack.
  • The Leader: Sephiroth, by virtue of being the strongest member and having the most leadership experience, becomes the de facto leader of the group.
  • Let Me at Him!: Cissnei and Cloud (mostly Cloud, since Cissnei's unenhanced) have to hold back Zack after they see Tseng slapping Aerith.
  • Let's Split Up, Gang!: Invoked three times, once on the way out from Kalm, once outside of Fort Condor, and another time after Cosmo Canyon in an attempt to catch Shalua out as The Mole.
  • Likes Older Men: Tifa teases Yuffie about having a thing for older guys. It seems to be confirmed, what with her behavior around Vincent.
  • Luke, I Am Your Father: Hojo to Sephiroth, in Rescue. Sephiroth doesn't take it well.
  • Macguffin Girl: Aerith; Sephiroth notes that for whatever reason, everything keeps coming back to her, and for those same reasons, everyone is after her.
  • Mad Scientist's Handsome Son: Sephiroth despises being Hojo's son and always expresses anger whenever the scientist is mentioned or appears.
  • Magnetic Hero: Zack. It's implied that Cissnei and Sephiroth would not even be in the party in the first place if their original goal wasn't saving Zack from his Shinra Army Ending, and Kunsel joins for Zack's sake. He's also extremely close to Cloud and Aerith, and was the first of the trio (the other two being Sephiroth and Cissnei) to warm up to Barret and the other members of AVALANCHE.
  • Manchurian Agent: Cissnei, although Sephiroth manages to cut her off at the pass before anyone gets hurt.
  • May–December Romance: Sephiroth is eight years older than Cissnei.
    • This trope is quite likely also in play with Yuffie and Vincent.
  • Mercy Lead: Given by Tseng to Cissnei and company in 22 Hours. He gives them a 48 hour head start before alerting the company to their presence in Kalm, allowing them to regroup and escape.
  • Mistaken for Gay: Cloud while Disguised in Drag, claims there's someone else, and when pressed, says it's Zack, much to his friend's chagrin, and to the amusement of the rest of their friends. Even Sephiroth laughs.
  • The Mole: Not long after leaving Costa del Sol, it becomes clear the Tsviets are keeping tabs on them somehow (Cait Sith doesn't join, so Reeve isn't it this time), and suspicion soon falls on Shalua, prompting Cissnei to make a plan to out her if she is one, by splitting the group up and setting a rendezvous at Rocket Town to see if Shalua's group is ambushed. The plan works, but what Cissnei doesn't realize is that she's the mole. Nero has been connected to her somehow ever since he nearly killed her.
  • Morality Pet: Blaire seems to be becoming this for Sephiroth, although he's far from a bad guy.
  • Named Weapons: Quite a few canon ones, such as Zack's Buster Sword, Sephiroth's Masamune, Cissnei's Rekka,which is her real name as well and Shion/Katana's Murasame.
  • Neck Lift: Just to show how powerful and dangerous Jenova really is, she does the to Sephiroth of all people.
  • Noodle Incident: The last time Sephiroth got drunk somehow involved Genesis, an angry Angeal, and a prison. The incident is explained in A Tale of Two SOLDIERs.
  • Not His Sled: Anyone expecting Aerith to die the same way she did in the game will be pretty surprised when Kunsel takes the bullet for her.
  • Not So Above It All: While Sephiroth is the most serious of the group, he has his moments, such as when Yuffie dyes his hair pink, and in the aforementioned Mistaken for Gay moment.
  • Not Quite Dead: Zack right at the beginning.
  • Not So Stoic: Sephiroth has a moment in the Shinra Building after killing President Shinra, and another when Cissnei's shot by Nero.
  • Oblivious to Love: Sephiroth.
  • O.C. Stand-in: Kunsel.
  • Only Sane Man: Sephiroth, ironically.
  • Parental Substitute: Shion is one for Cissnei.
  • Pass the Popcorn: Sephiroth drops the line when he and Cissnei go to the play at the Gold Saucer and see Cloud appear onstage.
  • Precision F-Strike: From Sephiroth: "Bastard". A somewhat delirious Cissnei notes that she's never heard him swear before.
  • Psycho Ex-Girlfriend: Kunsel apparently has one.
  • Puppy-Dog Eyes: Zack and Yuffie both use these to convince Sephiroth to give them the night off in Interlude 005.
  • Ragtag Bunch of Misfits: It is actually noted how mismatched a group they are.
  • Red Herring Mole: Shalua. The real mole is Cissnei, who doesn't even know she's doing it.
  • Relationship Reboot: After Zack and Aerith finally reunite, five years later, they attempt this. It lasts all of thirty seconds.
  • Relationship Upgrade: Zack and Aerith after leaving Midgar, and Sephiroth and Cissnei at the very end of Disc One.
  • The Reliable One: Kunsel. Zack notes that his friend always did what needed to be done but never raised a fuss about it, which is why he was stuck as a Second for so long.
  • Sacrificial Lion: Subverted with Zack, doubles subverted with Kunsel.
  • Sex for Solace: Cissnei relates a mission with her old partner going to investigate his brother. She doesn't go into details, just that they were both upset after it was done and they got "carried away". She leaves him alone in bed in the morning, because she's afraid of getting that close to anyone.
  • Shell-Shocked Veteran: Zack and Sephiroth. Cloud also qualifies.
  • Shower of Awkward: Sephiroth bumps into Cissnei when she's just out of the shower. She's wearing a Modesty Towel, but Sephiroth is still a heterosexual male, and believe it or not, he starts imagining things about her.
  • Side Bet: Zack and Yuffie bet twenty gil over whether or not the "vampire" they find in the basement of Shinra Mansion is attractive. Zack wins the bet.
  • The Spock: Shelke, who acts entirely based off logic and seems confused by the "discrepancies" of others.
  • Spirit Advisor: Angeal seems to be gearing up to become this.
  • Spit Take: Zack's reaction when he sees Aerith in Don Corneo's mansion over the video feed.
  • Stepford Smiler: Zack's had a lot of bad things happen to him, but he does his best not to show it.
  • Straight Man: Sephiroth, again.
  • The Stoic: Sephiroth rarely shows emotions, although he definitely has them.
  • Strictly Professional Relationship: Sephiroth and Cissnei love this trope.
  • Sugar-and-Ice Personality: Sephiroth, just like in Crisis Core. He does care. He's just not good at this whole "emotional" thing yet.
  • Surrounded by Idiots: Sephiroth seems to feel this way at times.
  • Sword and Sorcerer: Aerith and Zack combine this with Battle Couple to great effect.
  • The Quiet One: Cloud rarely speaks without being spoken to. Sephiroth isn't exactly talkative either, and seems to avoid conversation as much as possible.
  • Tagalong Kid: Blaire.
  • Team Dad: Sephiroth again.
  • Terse Talker: Cloud.
  • The Confidant: Cissnei to Sephiroth. Sephiroth finally has a Jerkass Realization in Interlude 001 when he realizes he's spent the last four years talking about his own problems without once bothering to ask about her past or anything about her.
  • The Heart: Zack goes out of his way to be friends with everyone in the party, socialize the antisocial, and cheer everyone up during bad times.
  • The Knights Who Say "Squee!": Despite never doing it out loud, Cloud has had quite a few internal 'squees' after getting compliments from Sephiroth.
  • Terse Talker: Cloud.
  • To Absent Friends: Invoked by Sephiroth when he and Zack go out drinking in the first chapter of The Trials We Face.
  • Took a Level in Badass: Genesis, as Sephiroth finds out.
    • Cloud's getting there too, although it's pretty slow going.
    • Yuffie, during the Wutai Arc.
  • True Companions: In their own twisted way, the Turks (and ex-Turks) are this to each other.
    • The main characters are becoming this too.
  • Tsundere: Yuffie towards Vincent, and non-romantically towards Sephiroth.
  • Two Lines, No Waiting: The Fort Condor chapters count as these, as do the chapters of Interlude 001 and the current subplot wherein Tsviets kidnap Marlene.
  • Unstoppable Rage: Zack goes into this after Kunsel is killed saving Aerith.
  • Unusual Chapter Numbers: The story is divided into a series of Files and Interludes, with each taking up multiple chapters.
  • Unwitting Pawn: The incident at the Temple of the Ancients comes about because Cissnei is still unknowingly connected to Nero. When the party gets the Keystone, he knows where it is and is able to steal it right out from under their noses. In addition, she overhears a conversation between Tseng and Reeve in which Tseng reveals that he has the Restrictor card and intends to use it to eliminate all the Tsviets when they gather at the temple, which clues them in on the plan and Weiss makes a preemptive strike on Tseng.
  • UST: Lots between Sephiroth and Cissnei.
  • Weapon Tombstone: It's a tradition to plant the swords of fallen Soldiers where they died. Doubles as foreshadowing for Kunsel's fate.
  • We Used to Be Friends: Sephiroth and Genesis.
  • Weak, but Skilled: Cissnei.
  • What You Are in the Dark: After shooting down the Turks' helicopter, Cissnei thinks back to a conversation she had with another ex-Turk about why she'd getting so involved with AVALANCHE. When said former colleague demands to know if she thinks she can erase all her dark deeds of the past or if she wants to be a hero, Cissnei replies, "It's not about being a hero...it's about being able to looks at myself in the mirror."
  • Will They or Won't They?: Sephiroth and Cissnei, as well as Cloud and Tifa. As for the former, they will. Still up in the air for Cloud and Tifa though, even if it's a Foregone Conclusion.
  • World of Badass
  • World of Snark: Just about everyone gets their snarky moments.
  • You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Used in Interlude 001. When Cissnei finally gets fed up with Sephiroth calling himself a monster, she lists off all of the things he has done so far that disprove that statement.


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